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{{For|the Canadian politician|Alexander Grant (disambiguation)}}
{{Use British English|date=March 2012}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2020}}
[[File:Bust of Sir Alexander Grant by Charles McBride, Old College, University of Edinburgh.jpg|thumb|Bust of Sir Alexander Grant by [[Charles McBride]], Old College, University of Edinburgh]]
'''Sir Alexander Grant, 10th Baronet''', [[Royal Society of Edinburgh|FRSE]] (23 September 1826 – 30 November 1884) was a Scottish baronet, landowner and historian who served Principal of the [[University of Edinburgh]] from 1868 to 1884. He had strong links to India, especially [[Bombay]].

==Biography==

===Early life===
He was born in New York, New York, the son of Sir Robert Innes Grant, 9th Baronet of Dalvey, and his wife, Judith Towers Battelle.<ref name="thepeerage.com">{{cite web| url = http://www.thepeerage.com/p41129.htm#i411283| title = Person Page}} </ref> His early education took place in America and the family then returned to Britain.

He was educated at [[Harrow School]] from 1839 to 1845 then went to [[Balliol College, Oxford]] graduating BA in 1848 and MA in 1852.<ref name="thepeerage.com"/> He made a special study of the [[Aristotelian philosophy]], and in 1857 published an edition of ''The Ethics of Aristotle: Illustrated with Essays and Notes'' (4th ed. 1885) which became a standard text-book at Oxford. In 1855 he was one of the examiners for the Indian Civil Service, and in 1856 a public examiner in [[classics]] at Oxford.<ref name=EB1911>{{EB1911 |wstitle=Grant, Sir Alexander |volume=12 |page=353 |inline=1}}</ref>

His father became 9th Baronet of Dalvey in 1854 on the death of his brother, [[Sir Alexander Grant, 8th Baronet]]. When his father died in 1856 Alexander became the 10th baronet.<ref name="thepeerage.com"/>

===India===

In 1859 he went to [[Madras]] with Sir [[Sir Charles Trevelyan, 1st Baronet|Charles Trevelyan]], and was appointed inspector of schools; the next year he moved to [[Bombay]], to fill the post of [[Professor]] of History and Political Economy in the [[Elphinstone College]]. Of this he became Principal in 1862; and, a year later, vice-chancellor of [[Bombay University]], a post he held from 1863 to 1865 and again from 1865 to 1868. In 1865 he was appointed Director of Public Instruction for Bombay. In 1866 he served as Vice Chancellor of [[Bombay University]]. In 1868 he was appointed a Member of the [[Bombay Legislative Council]].<ref name=EB1911/>

===Edinburgh and final years===

In 1868, upon the death of Sir [[David Brewster]], he was appointed Principal of [[Edinburgh University]]. From that time till his death, much of his energies were devoted to the well-being of the University. The institution of the new medical school in the University (at Teviot Place) was almost solely due to his initiative; and the [[Tercentenary]] Festival, celebrated in 1884, was the result of his enthusiasm. In that year he published ''The Story of the University of Edinburgh during its First Three Hundred Years''.<ref name=EB1911/>

In 1869 he was elected a Fellow of the [[Royal Society of Edinburgh]], his proposer being Sir [[Robert Christison]]. He twice served as Vice President of the Society: 1870 to 1874 and 1876 to 1881.<ref>{{cite book|title=Biographical Index of Former Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh 1783–2002|date=July 2006|publisher=The Royal Society of Edinburgh|isbn=0-902-198-84-X|url=https://www.royalsoced.org.uk/cms/files/fellows/biographical_index/fells_indexp1.pdf}}</ref>

From 1872 (following the Scottish Education Act of that year) he was a Member of the Board of Education, overseeing a huge programme of school construction across Scotland. He sat on the board until 1878, by which time the construction period was drawing to an end.<ref name="thepeerage.com"/>

From 1875 until his death in 1884 he served as the inaugural vice-president of the newly emerged conservationist body the [[Cockburn Association]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cockburnassociation.org.uk/history/office-bearers/ |title = Historic Cockburn Association Office-Bearers - The Cockburn Association}}</ref>

He died at his Edinburgh address of 21 Lansdowne Crescent in the west end of the city.<ref>Edinburgh and Leith Post Office directory 1883-84</ref>

He is buried in [[Dean Cemetery]] in western [[Edinburgh]].<ref>https://www.royalsoced.org.uk/cms/files/fellows/biographical_index/fells_indexp1.pdf {{Bare URL inline|date=June 2021}}</ref>

==Honorary degrees==

* 1865 – Honorary LLD, [[Edinburgh University]]
* 1880 – Honorary DCL, [[University of Oxford]]
* 1882 – Honorary Fellow, [[Oriel College, Oxford|Oriel College]]

==Family==
In 1859 Grant was married to Susan Ferrier, daughter of [[James Frederick Ferrier]]. They had eight children. Their two first sons died in infancy. The six remaining children were:

*[[Sir Ludovic James Grant, 11th Baronet]] (1862-1936)
*Julia Mary Grant (1864-1952)
*Sylvia Grant (1867-1935)
*Dr Percy Frere Grant (1869-1909)
*[[Hamilton Grant|Sir Hamilton Grant, 12th Baronet]] (1872-1937)
*Susan Ferrier Grant (1873-1968)

==Personal life==

A keen golfer, Grant was a regular at the [[Elie Golf Club]] and was caddied by a young [[Archie Simpson]] for many years, his favourite.<ref name="antique">{{cite web|url=http://www.antiquegolfscotland.com/antiquegolf/maker.php3?makerid=55|title=Archie Simpson|publisher=Antiquegolfscotland.com|access-date=5 July 2014}}</ref>

==Recognition==

Grant is remembered at the [[University of Edinburgh]] to this day with two buildings named after him: Grant House in [[Pollock Halls of Residence]], and the [[Grant Institute]] (Geology).

==References==

{{Reflist}}
*{{Rayment-bt|date=March 2012}}

==External links==
* Sir Alexander Grant, ''The Ethics of Aristotle: Illustrated with Essays and Notes'', [https://books.google.com/books?id=ST4TAAAAYAAJ& Vol.1], 4th ed. 1885 & [https://books.google.com/books?id=Ku1oAAAAMAAJ& Vol.2], 3rd ed. 1874

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{{Succession box | before=[[Sir David Brewster|David Brewster]] | title=[[Edinburgh University Principals]] | years=1868–1884 | after=[[William Muir|Sir William Muir]]}}
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{{succession box | title=[[Grant Baronets|Baronet]]<br />'''(of [[Dalvey, Elgin|Dalvey]])''' | years=1856–1884 | before=[[Sir Robert Innes Grant, 9th Baronet|Robert Innes Grant]] | after= [[Sir Ludovic James Grant, 11th Baronet|Ludovic James Grant]] }}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Grant, Alexander}}
[[Category:1826 births]]
[[Category:1884 deaths]]
[[Category:Alumni of the University of Edinburgh]]
[[Category:Baronets in the Baronetage of Nova Scotia]]
[[Category:People educated at Harrow School]]
[[Category:Fellows of Oriel College, Oxford]]
[[Category:Principals of the University of Edinburgh]]
[[Category:Members of the Bombay Legislative Council]]

Sir Alexander Grant, 10th Baronet - Revision history

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